Update at 2:15pm:
WASHINGTON (AP) – Attorney General Jeff Sessions says federal authorities are charging a 56-year-old Florida man with five federal crimes including the mailing of explosives.
Sessions says the charges carry a maximum of 58 years in prison.
Session announced the charges Friday just hours after federal authorities arrested Cesar Sayoc. Sayoc is accused of sending more than a dozen pipe bombs through the mail to prominent Democrats including former President Barack Obama and to CNN.
FBI Director Christopher Wray says more than a dozen pipe bombs sent to prominent Democrats and CNN were “not hoax devices.”
Wray says each of the pipe bombs contained materials that could react and cause a potential explosion.
None of the devices exploded, and no one has been injured.
President Donald Trump says suspect in mail bomb scare will be prosecuted to `fullest extent of the law.’
Update: The Justice Department says a person has been taken into custody in connection with a series of package bombs sent to prominent Democrats.
Spokeswoman Sarah Flores says a news conference is scheduled for later Friday. The person’s name was not immediately released.
Officials have located 12 devices addressed in recent days to Democratic figures including former President Barack Obama, former Vice President Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton.
The FBI said Friday that a package addressed to Sen. Cory Booker, of New Jersey, was intercepted in Florida. Another was discovered at a Manhattan postal facility and was addressed to former national intelligence director James Clapper at CNN’s address.
The targets have all been high-profile critics of President Donald Trump.
Update: WASHINGTON (AP) – Law enforcement officials say the suspected explosive device sent to Robert De Niro may have been sitting in the mail room of his building for a day or more before it was discovered.
Two officials told The Associated Press on Thursday that a person affiliated with the Tribeca Film Center was off work when he saw an image on the Internet and elsewhere of the package containing a crude pipe bomb sent to CNN.
That person, who has a background in law enforcement, recalled seeing a similar package at the film center mail room earlier and reported it to police.
Emergency service officers were dispatched early Thursday to retrieve it. It had the same return address used on the other packages. An official said it was suspected to have been delivered earlier this week.
The two officials weren’t authorized to discuss the investigation and spoke on condition of anonymity.
WASHINGTON (WBAP/KLIF News) – The Secret Service said it intercepted two suspicious packages containing suspected explosive devices were sent to the homes of the Clintons and former President Barack Obama Wednesday morning.
According to a statement, a package was addressed to former First Lady Hillary Clinton in Westchester County, New York.
A second package was addressed to Obama’s residence in Washington D.C.
The packages were identified during routine mail screening procedures and were intercepted before they were delivered to their homes.
The Secret Service said no one under their protection was ever at risk at receiving the packages.
Later Wednesday morning, CNN reported that it’s New York Bureau was evacuated after a suspicious package was found in its mail room. CNN reports the package was addressed to former CIA Director John Brennan, a contributor to the network.
Scene outside CNN NY HQ right now. #NYPD Bomb squad here. @CNNnewsroom pic.twitter.com/avUVaSKDRu
— Jim Sciutto (@jimsciutto) October 24, 2018
The chaos also hit the southeastern region of the country.
Police in Sunrise, Florida evacuated the office of Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz after a suspicious package was delivered.
On Monday, an explosive device was found at the New York home of Democratic billionaire George Soros.
The FBI, Secret Service and local police departments are investigating.
BREAKING: Secret Service intercepts suspicious packages addressed to the residences of former President Obama and former First Lady Hillary Clinton. Working with our law enforcement partners on the investigation. Our Statement: https://t.co/lJdTn04KmI
— U.S. Secret Service (@SecretService) October 24, 2018
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